Opening Statement

Harold Chasen is your typical disillusioned youth. His favorite passtime is
tormenting his domineering mother with elaborate mock suicides and converting
expensive Jaguars so they look like souped-up Hearses. Well, Harold's mother has
decided that it is time he did something with his life and assumed some
responsibility. His mother has decided it is time for Harold to get married.
Prospective dates come and prospective dates go, usually screaming out of the
house. But when he least expects it Harold does meet his perfect someone in the
form of Maude. Harold meets Maude at a funeral and in the process of getting to
know each other, Maude teaches Harold what it means to live. So Harold has
decided he wants to marry Maude. The only problem being is Maude turns 80 in a
couple of days.

The Evidence

To try and describe everything that goes on in this movie is to ruin the
surprises that it holds. It is equal parts funny and equal parts wise. It is
also one of my personal favorites in a genre of films that is very subjective in
taste: the black comedy.

Black comedies are always a risky venture, but for me, this movie scores on
a pretty consistent basis. It goes in quite a few directions most movies today
would not dream of.

When people say they don't make movies like they used to, I sometimes think
they should say, they can't make movies like they used to. Harold And
Maude is a pretty good example of that. The plot of a suicidal 21-year-old
who meets, falls in love and makes love to an 80 year old woman is not exactly
the pitch these days that would get a screenwriter the three picture deal with a
back end on international distribution rights that they so dearly hope for.
Harold and Maude dates back to 1971, when there were no real hard and
fast rules about what could and could not be done. Films were made in accordance
with the wishes of its creators and not at the whims of a test screening
audience. It was a purer art form then and movies like Harold And Maude
stand as proof.

Screenwriter Higgens would go on to bigger, more commercial successes but
with Harold And Maude he would pen his edgiest, darkest material. With
his classic set of outsiders, one at the beginning of life, not knowing how to
love and one at the end of life hoping to love one more time, he would give
birth to one of the most original screen couples ever created. His words ring
with a true kind of sweetness and his situations flow with a sense of the
natural, no small feat in a movie that is sometimes quite outrageous. Its a
beautiful and well crafted screenplay.

The movie is helped in no small fashion by the direction of Hal Ashby. Ashby
was no slouch in the filmmaking department, with his movies looking good and
moving at a deliberate pace. His true gift though was with the way he handled
his actors. Can anyone tell me if David Carradine was ever better than in Bound For Glory? In the later stage of his
career would Peter Sellers produce stronger work than as Chance the Gardener in
Being There? Or would Ruth Gordon
(My Bodyguard, Where's Poppa?, Rosemary's Baby) give a more rounded
performance than as Maude in Harold And Maude? I think the answer to all
three of those questions is a big no. Ashby had a wonderful talent for keeping
his actors honest and drawing out the truth in their roles. His best films were
never flashy, just warm, wonderful slices of life and character.

As I mentioned, Ruth Gordon is quite good as the elderly free spirit Maude.
Gordon was an actress with a limited bag of tricks that would often wear thin
quickly. Here though she just seems so right. All of the mannerisms that she
would like to use are held in check and used to good effect. Her creation of
Maude is, to my mind anyway, the pinnacle of her film career.

As the other half of the films romantic duo Bud Cort (Dogma, Brewster McCloud, M*A*S*H), is wonderful as Harold. He has such
a childish glee in tormenting his mother and his potential brides with each faux
suicide that he is impossible not to like. He is like a long lost puppy dog with
the most expressive and sad eyes that when Maude actually gets him to smile, I
found myself smiling with him. He is the center of the movie and his performance
is the key to its success.

In support and as the mother from Hell, Vivian Pickles (Candleshoe,
O Lucky Man!, The Looking Glass War), is hysterical as the calm,
clueless Mrs. Chasen. While the character would be forgotten if played as simple
caricature, Pickles and Higgens make her truly care for Harold. It is her love
and concern for her son that make the portrayal really work. Again nothing
flashy just solid, well written, well directed and well acted work from seasoned
professionals.

Rounding out the actors is Charles Tyner (Planes, Trains and Automobiles,
The Outlaw Josey Wales, The
Longest Yard) as Harold's Uncle Victor. Part of Mrs. Chasen's plan to make
Harold into a man is to get him into the army. Uncle Victor is a one star
general who is not only unpopular at the Pentagon (he thinks we need to keep
fighting "good wars" like those with the Germans), but is also a bit
of a loon. The plan that Harold and Maude come up with to keep Harold out of
service is one of the highlights of the film.

Paramount has done a 5.1 remix for Harold And Maude and it actually
sounds pretty good. It is certainly a front loaded mix with the surrounds being
used to limited but good effect. Dialogue is never a problem with the mix being
distortion free and the songs from Cat Stevens, which make up the movie's
soundtrack, sound great. Paramount also provides the movies original mono
soundtrack. It's not a bad sounding soundtrack but I did prefer the 5.1 because
of the greater fidelity it showed.

The discs only extras were the film's two original theatrical trailers.

The Rebuttal Witnesses

As has been common practice of late Paramount has given Harold And
Maude a brand new anamorphic transfer. It maintains the films theatrical
aspect ratio of 1.85:1 but it is far from a perfect job. The film has not aged
well with problems running all the way through it. There are lots of nicks and
scratches with quite a bit of film grain present throughout. Colors often look
muted and washed out with there also being a slight degree of edge enhancement
rearing its ugly head. The film needed some serious restoration and Paramount
dropped the ball.

Harold And Maude is a Paramount catalogue title so we all know what
that means. No special features or extras to speak of. I know most of the
principals have passed on but still, could we have not gotten at least some kind
of making of featurette. Is it really too much to ask for?

As for the style of film Harold And Maude is, well, the humor in
black comedies is very subjective by nature. So as for the film's laughs, your
mileage may vary.

Closing Statement

Harold And Maude…a great movie that is both very warm and funny.
The disc itself is short on extras and the picture could have been better. It
sounds good though and has a place of pride on my shelf as one of my all-time
favorite movies.

I would think if you have never seen Harold And Maude before, its a
solid rental. If you laugh as much as I do, then by all means, pick it up.

The Verdict

Harold And Maude is acquitted of all charges. Paramount is thanked for
dipping into its vaults and releasing one of my favorite movies. I just wish
they had done some restoration for it, not to mention doing some work on a
documentary of some sort. Case dismissed.